In the End
by Jewelieishness
Summary: Lucia comes home, eyes sallow, and Nikora immediately knows that something is wrong with her princess. Drabble, R


**A/N: In response to Laney-chan's challenge ("I don't see Nikora/Lucia happening"), just a drabble because I'm very tentative about writing Mermaid Melody -Laugh.-**

**Title:** In the End  
**Rating:** PG  
**Fandom:** Mermaid Melody  
**Pairing: **Nikora x Lucia  
**Genre: **Romance (and a smidgeon of angst?)  
**Word Count: **580  
**Warnings: **If you're not put off by the implied girl love, there's nothing else.  
**Summary: **Lucia comes home, eyes sallow, and Nikora immediately knows that something is wrong with her princess.  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own Mermaid Melody. It is the property of Yokote Michiko.

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**In the End**

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"I'm home," Lucia said, voice flat and eyes sallow. The double doors slammed behind her in her displeasure.

Nikora looked up from her magazine, and with one glance, diagnosed her princess with...

With nothing. There was nothing there. No happiness, no bubbly chatter, no smiles; no _Lucia_.

"What's wrong?" Nikora asked, although she knew better. Lucia would not tell her. Lucia kept her problems to herself. Lucia did not complain, did not moan and groan about what a _burden_ everything was. Lucia was grateful for everything, good and bad.

Lucia merely glared at her with dark, lifeless eyes. Nikora vaguely felt as if something were crawling on her. Something grimy and with many legs. "Nothing." There was no sparkle to Lucia's sound.

The princess pulled her hair ribbons out and clenched her fists, wrinkling the crimson fabric. "Nothing's wrong. I don't see why you would ask that question, _Nikora-onee-chan_." An atmosphere of condescension flared up as Lucia said her name, as if she hated Nikora with every fiber in her body just for _suggesting _that something might be wrong. "Would you like it better if something was wrong?"

"N – no," Nikora said, hesitant. "You just...you look unhappy." The crawling sensation stopped as Lucia turned her eyes away.

"Of course I'm unhappy," Lucia murmured, her voice getting quiet. Nikora thought she saw a glimmer of tears in her charge's eyes. "I just saw my _best friend _holding hands with my _boyfriend_." The words were strained and choked, as if Lucia couldn't stand saying them.

Nikora felt a flood of both sympathy and relief – sympathy for Lucia, who was being cheated on, and relief that her princess was still emotionally intact. "Come here," she assuaged soothingly, dropping the magazine and opening her arms wide. Lucia dove into the welcoming embrace, tears flowing freely from her eyes. A sob racked her small frame, and Nikora tightened her grip. "It's okay. It's okay. I'm sure it's all a misunderstanding. Hanon is a good person, and Kaito loves you."

The words were quite possibly a hoax, Nikora knew. Love was fickle, and people changed – too much, too fast. Or, she thought as Lucia wrapped her arms around her neck, too little, too late. Maybe Kaito had gotten bored of Lucia, who was reliably the same, day after day. Maybe he was tired of her cheerfulness. Maybe he wanted something new, something special and dramatic and flirty.

Something like Hanon.

"Hush," Nikora continued, to persuade both Lucia and herself. "It's all going to be alright." She rocked the girl in her lap gently. The sobs grew increasingly less loud, less raucous and desperate, until Lucia's mewls fell to a soft whimper. When Lucia finally looked up at Nikora, the magenta-spiked female had to swallow a lump in her throat.

Lucia's large, brown eyes were swallowed in black. Supposedly the fear of Kaito leaving her had made her pupils widen...

She looked like a sleep-deprived maniac. Nikora silently vowed to herself that Lucia, beautiful, precious Lucia, would never look like that again in her life.

"Is it really?" Lucia asked, voice raw and trembling. "Is it really, onee-chan?"

The condescending feel faded away, only to be replaced by an innocent, babylike aura. At her core, Lucia really was just a child...a demure, hopeful child. Nikora's features softened ever so slightly. "Yes, Lucia-chan," she whispered gently, kissing the pale expanse of the child's cheek.

"_It's all going to be alright."_

--

**End**


End file.
